ABC Hacks!

kindergarten

Jun 3

We had a few caregivers this past week asking all about their child's skills and abilities when it comes to letter recognition. I decided that this would be a great opportunity to share some quick and fun ABC practice activities, while also reminding everyone that recognizing letters is actually only a tiny part of the learning-to-read puzzle!

Many other skills are just as important, like rhyming, nonsense words, or counting words and syllables! Not sure where to start? No worries, I got you.

Today, I want to share some of my favorite ABC hacks!

First and foremost, we get asked all the time ‘how can I make sure that I am demonstrating the sounds for each letter of the ABCs correctly for my child?' Well, I'm happy to help! Check out the video below where I tell you all of the best letter sounds to start with when teaching the ABC's!

Watch the video now!

These are the 3 biggest mistakes I see when kids are being taught the ABC's:

1) Not teaching the letter sounds correctly

Yes, every letter makes multiple sounds so HOW do we know which to teach and when? Start with the most occurring sounds. G and C are the hard sound like cat and goat, and the vowels are the short sound like in the middle of these words: cap, pet, pit, pot, cup

2) Letter formation

Teaching kids early to write letters from the top helps them grow as writers for life. It’s not a big deal now, but proper letter formation is a huge reason behind writing struggles we see in second grade and beyond. So start the right way now and avoid the writing battle later

3) MAKE MISTAKES

Let your kids make mistakes. Let them see how to work through making a mistake. The last thing we want is a child who is stuck because they feel like they need to do it perfectly.

If you want more resources, download my simple guide of ‘10 Things to Know Before Teaching Your Child To Read’ or my proven (and super popular!) ABC workbook!

For more tips and insights to nurture lifelong learners, hop over to my Instagram page.

And, don't forget to explore episodes on the podcast, Play On Words, where you’ll hear more about making learning fun and accessible for all.

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I’m the founder of BCR, host of the Play on Words podcast, a consultant for the Chicago Public Library, and more! On the blog, I regularly share my tips, insights, and knowledge on early literacy.